cursed man can doe this how shall hee blesse that is the Father of blessings Surely let our soules firmely dwell in this Truth that those actions which are most perfectly referred to God and haue no end but God are most fully rewarded of God and as much as any outward thing doth share in the end so much doe we lose of our reward and so much of our reward must wee looke of that End which did set vs on worke Now where euill is offered goodnes cannot well propose any end but God in bestowing it selfe for euill By patience also wee make roome for Faith and like a good child it cherisheth the parent that begate it for while patience keepes the house of Man in quietnesse the vnruly and tumultuous affections being suppressed and stilled the soule is at leisure to look abroade vvith the eye of Faith euen to looke within the vaile and there to see comfort her selfe in eternall ioyes presently possessed by Hope which as an Anker both sure and stedfast is there alreadie vnmoouably fastned By Patience also haue we time and place for the excellent instrument of Prayer to fulfill her worke of piercing the heauens presenting our necessities griefes to the Throne of Grace And commonly the prayer of the patient returnes with this comfortable answere In a time accepted and in the day of saluation haue I heard thee for the patient abiding of the meeke shall not perish for euer And that we may yet bee a little more in loue with this beautifying and beautifull patience let vs looke her somewhat stedfastly on the face and particularly desery her excellent proportion If thus we doe we shall find that patience is placed by God in the heart of man against troubles as the cliffes against the waues of the Sea for by patience God saith to the flouds of persecutions vexations Hitherto shall yee come no farther and here shall yee stay your proud waues It is the hedge of GODS Vineyard euen of the blessed Spirits of the Saints which hath fenced them in the bloudiest times against the wildest Bores euen the fiercest Tyrants The body might bee broken by torments but this brazen wall of the soule could neuer be battered it is a kind of metall that is fitted of purpose to indure the fire euen a firy triall and to bee made brighter thereby This she doth and how can she doe otherwise for she is borne of heauenly Ancestors and fetcheth her originall from the Highest The power of the most Mightie doth sustaine her how can it be but she must then be mightie and powerfull For Patience fetcheth her strength and life from Hope Hope from Faith Faith from Christ Christ from God If it were not for Hope the heart would breake with impatience if it were not for Faith Hope would dye and starue as being without a roote if it were not for Christ Faith would perish for want of an obiect And vvithout the Godhead the Manhood of Christ were not a sufficient foundation of Faith But now the Godhead supporteth and inableth the Man-hood of Christ by a mightie Vnion Faith groundeth an vnmouable foundation vpon Christ being God Man Hope violently layes hold on the ioyes truly discouered by Faith and Patience takes iust courage and comfort from Hope because Hope tells her shee must waite but a little and the promises shall certainly bee receiued And as Patience by this meanes powerfully supporteth and sustayneth the Soule and the graces infused into her so is shee also an excellent meanes for the increase of the same graces Patience is the calme of the Soule and as it is best sowing of visible Graine in a time of calme so in the calme of the Soule is it best sowing of the Inuisible seed of the Word and Spirit Then can wee most truely say My heart is ready and Speake Lord for thy Seruant is at leisure to heare thee and then with Marie are we most fit for that thing which is necessarie when by Patience we haue excluded the many things that are troublesome The Spirit delighteth in a meek and quiet Spirit it commeth in the still wind and not in the storme and tempest Accordingly experience teacheth vs that the Patient haue euer receiued spirituall consolations and euen this experience is a consolation to Patience For this experience that the loue of God is shed abroad into the hearts of the patient so affects the patient that they be not ashamed And if wee would rather beleeue Examples then Positions Let vs examine the Stories of IOB and DAVID and let vs remember what end God made with them The latter end of the patient hath recompensed his beginning his patient sowing in teares hath brought forth the carrying of sheues with ioy God will be suffered loued and trusted euen when he afflicteth and chastizeth he will haue the Soule to repose her Happinesse in him while the body feeleth temporall miserie And if hee bee still trusted and loued if the heart still cleaueth vnto him then hee commeth at length with a large measure of comfort he performeth indeed what he hath spoken in his Word Whoso trusteth in the Lord Mercie shall compasse him It is no great glorie to GOD nor excellencie in Man to trust in GOD when with THOMAS we feele and handle the fauours of God The bodie may haue a share in this kinde of trust But the sight of things inuisible is the highest pitch of the Soule this commends Man vnto God yea it glorifies God vnto Man for it brings downe certaine newes that there is Grace and Mercie with God when the bodie vtterly denies it because it feeles the strokes of seeming Wrath and Punishment And in this testimonie deliuered and receiued GOD exceedingly delighteth euen to bee trusted vnder hope against hope hee abundantly recompenseth it as in ABRAHAM so in the sonnes of ABRAHAM Another aduantage of Grace by the mediation of Patience is this that the patient afflicted and hee only vseth afflictions as incentiues to spiritual feruencie and being by troubles driuen out the flesh and the comforts thereof hee goes more mightily and wholly into the Spirit He quitteth the battered and polluted tabernacle of his lothsome flesh and hee entreth into the secret of the Highest where by his Spirit GOD himselfe resideth There doth he warme himselfe by the heauenly flames hee blowes and kindles them seeking by all meanes that as sufferings abound so consolations may also abound and that temporall sorrow bee at least counterpoyzed by spirituall ioyes So through Patience troubles driue vs neerer to Christ and sharpen our stomakes to sucke more earnestly and eagerly the nourishment of Life Eternall But on the other side besides the losse of aduantages a multitude of euils rusheth in vpon the Soule vnfenced by Patience Surely shee is a continuall prey to euery trouble shee is neuer owner of her selfe but like a light and vnballasted vessell shee is at the command of euery waue
Religion let thy companie to such a one be a conuersation of reproofe and the doctrine of SIMON PETER to SIMON MAGVS or let it bee no companie at all These are they for whom chiefly the Name of God is ill spoken of among our Heathen Christians These be they that set Religion to the basest lowest seruice euen to the attendance and supportation of sinne which of all things else it most hateth and detesteth These be they that make Religion to bee most dangerous and hurtfull to those who haue most Religion if withall they haue not the wisedome to discern Spirits These be they that vse the Word of God to aduance prosper their owne wickednes and consequently their owne damnation and certainly their damnation sleepeth not but euery Sermon which they heare increaseth their heape of wrath against the Day of wrath Now as wee should generally apply our selues vnto the societie of the Saints so should we striue to bring Saints into the places of neerest vse and societie For goodnes being so neere vs will continually bee doing good vnto vs. Whereas on the contrarie gracelesnesse by the continuance of conuersation will be still infecting quenching and killing of grace Ancient examples of wretched Memory haue confirmed this at large the greatest and the broadest miseries hauing beene brought on mankind by the mischiefe of such infectious societie There was but one man at the first and in him was all mankinde and in him all mankind fell into destruction by his beleeuing a seduced wife and their both associating and beleeuing a seducing Serpent Yea there is before vs but one great World and by the conuersation of the daughters of men with the sonnes of God this world was both corrupted and drowned After that deluge there was but one Nation chosen by God as a pattern and Master-piece of the World in which God by miracles precepts mounted and improued mankind to his vtmost height to see what Man could doe towards his owne happinesse and saluation this chiefe Nation yea the chiefest one of that Nation became abominably sinfull by conuersing with sinners And can a part thinke to stand where the whole hath falne Or can our weaknes thinke to ouer-come that enemie before whom such strength and wisdome lies vanquished and subdued It cannot be expected Our vaine and groundlesse presumptions may puffe vs vp with an opinion of conquering but that very presumption is the mayne thing that by such perswasions leades vs to bee conquered and by telling vs of Victorie it leades vs on valiantly to be beaten And let vs assuredly beleeue this that if there bee the like prophane marrying and the like taking in marriage as there was in the dayes of NOE the like eating and drinking euen such wicked heathenish good fellowship the world that now is will bee as ripe for Fire as it was then for Water it will haue as much need of burning as it had then of drowning But let the wise of heart hasten this day rather by their prayers then their sinnes and to preuent sin let them walke as sonnes of Light with the children of Light and haue no fellowship with the works or workers of darknesse I know right well that the fewnesse of those who enter into the straight gate doth impose vpon vs a difficultie of fitting our selues round with the societie of Saints I know also that the necessities of this life doe forcibly carry vs into the companies of prophane godlesse men Yet let vs remember to striue stil for the best to account the euill as thornes in our sides and let vs finde willingly a trouble vexation in their companie but neuer satisfaction rest and contentment Let our hearts bee to the Saints still euen to the seede of the Womans seed and let there euer be a horror in vs and reluctation against the seede of the Serpent Let vs doe our indeuor cōtinually to vnwinde our selues from the wicked and from the need of their societie And let vs take heed that we doe not too easily despaire of accommodating our vses and occasions by some of those sanctified few especially in that place of neerest Vnion which requires but one and that one in the Lord GOD hath promised the seekers to find and that hee will withhold no grace nor blessing from them which seeke blessings for his Glorie To conclude conuerse also with the dead heare and reade their Actions and Sayings thou shalt finde that the dead will quicken the dead as the dead Prophet did the dead Souldier The spirit of the dead will enter into thy dead heart when thou considerest their excellent Actions and heauenly Meditations The zealous heate of their spirits remaineth yet in their words and actions and by these will enter into thee to raise thee vpto the same degree of feruence in the Spirit The first Loue was the best Loue and the first louers were the best louers The Apostles that were neerest to Christ were neerest to him in Loue those that succeeded the Apostles in time succeeded them best in Loue for then did the Kingdome of Heauen suffer greatest violence I know that God is stil mightie in his Saints but I know also that in these first times the fire of Loue was more generally vehement for then they did euen dote vpon Martyrdome and by their forwardnesse of suffering daunted many times the fury of their Persecutors But on the other side it hath beene fore-told that in these last Times Loue shall waxe cold and men shall loue pleasures more then God whereupon the World shall bee consummate Therefore let our cold Loue warme it selfe by the communion of their hote Loue and let no man so much condemne the Fathers for Errours as admire and imitate them for Zeale Let vs be followers of them that followed so vehemently after Christ yea of all such which since their daies and euen at this day haue beene followers of those followers of Christ. Thus compassed with a cloud of witnesses the testimonies of their loue will powerfully perswade vs to cast away all that presseth down and the sinne which hangeth so fast on and to runne more actiuely and swiftly in the race of Pietie Glorie which is set before vs. CHAP. IX Of Humilitie TO increase in the Spirit and so to grow in happinesse wee must carrie about vs a perpetuall Humilitie For Humilitie is the Fore-runner of Grace and it neuer goes before but Grace followes after This excellent Vertue casts out the old ADAM and makes roome for the New it puts away the fulnesse by which wee are full of our selues and so makes place for Christ that we may bee full of his Spirit Man as before hath gotten a God-head into him hee is filled and puffed vp with his knowledge of good euil euen with a selfe-happines which keeps out the true Happinesse God will not haue any gods but himselfe neither will he allow Man to haue two Felicities but he
yet beleeue thou the Word of the Lord which hee hath spoken to thee by his Spirit for his record is true and he must be beleeued vnder hope against hope The Spirit which establisheth vs hath warranted our stabilitie and this Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and what is once Truth is still Truth must stifly be retained against all contrary probabilities apparances Therefore are wee and may wee bee alwayes bold amidst tribulations and afflictions amidst terrors without and terrors within for the seale of God remaineth vpon vs inuiolable and the Lord who knowes who are his hath told vs that we are his Now that wee may haue the comfort of this Testimony let vs often examine our selues and search our hearts to see whether they resemble God or not let vs lay vp in our memories yea in memorialls records the witnessings of the Spirit to our Spirits against the day of Exercise and Tryall Thus wee see that euen in this Life wee are not left comfortlesse but wee haue both Comforts and a Comforter Yet wee still say that our chiefe Comfort is in the next Life yea the next Life is the chiefe Comfort of this Life to those whose eyes see things inuisible and make future things present Wherefore amidst the comforts of this life let our eyes and hearts be especially fixed on that because comforts in this life are but baytings and incouragements in our way vnto Happinesse but are not themselues our wayes end THE ARTE OF HAPPINES The third Part. Wherein is shewed how Man hyeth hold on happinesse retayneth and increaseth it and finally is put into the full fruition of it CHAP. I. How Man fastneth himselfe vnto happinesse WE haue seene what is our Soueraigne Good and we haue seen how this soueraigne Good imparts it selfe vnto Man now it concernes vs to search by what meanes Man may apply this soueraigne Good to himselfe or rather himselfe to it In vaine to vs it is that there is an happinesse In vaine it is that there is an hand stretched out to deliuer this happinesse to vs if we haue not also a hand to receiue it For if there be an happinesse and an offered happinesse if we receiue it not if wee haue no propertie in it wee continue in miserie euen in the sight of happinesse Wee are not happy except happinesse bee ours and not the being but the communication of happinesse makes vs happy And euen for this communication application is there an instrument giuen vs by him who is our happinesse he that hath giuen a mouth to the body to receiue the food of the body hath giuen a mouth to the soule to receiue the food of the soule Yea he hath taught vs how to open this mouth wide that it may admit and receiue a great fulnesse of happinesse But if in stead of telling thee how this is done I should aske thee what thou wouldest do for that which is better then all things How canst thou returne any other answer but this That thou wouldest giue all things for that which is better then all things For euen at that rate thou shalt be a gayner And if thy minde bee like this answere thou art in a good preparation for the receit of blessednes thou drawest neere vnto it and that thou maist not faile receiue these directions following The soule of Man hath two especiall parts or powers the Vnderstanding and the Will The vnderstanding is appointed to be the guide of the will and vpon the will moued by the vnderstanding should the affections and all the members attend yea all things that are ours Now if thou wilt receiue and apply happinesse offered in that God and Man our most blessed Restorer first thy vnderstanding must bee opened by knowledge for it must know acknowledge God in Christ to bee that which he is euen the blisse of mankinde and the meanes to that blisse As he is God so hee is Blessednes as hee is Man vnited to God so is he a Mediator betweene Blessednes and Man This thou must know and thou must know that this thy knowledge of him is true right For CHRIST being thus known the eye of the soule is turned from all other shewes and meanes of happinesse and the same is fixed onely on the onely Lord and Sauiour Being thus settled in the full assurance of vnderstanding thou hast performed a good part of thy promise for thou hast giuen thy vnderstanding euen a chiefe part of thy soule wholly to CHRIST And if further thou desirest a signe to know whether thou hast done this truely and really this may serue for a signe vnto thee If the knowledge of any thing for happinesse or the meanes to happinesse besides God in Christ bee vnto thâ—â— as drosse and filth and â—â—â—lishnesse But 〈…〉 vnderstanding must proceede to worke vpon thy will it must moue the will to open it selfe wide vnto happinesse and being open to sucke cleaue and fasten it selfe by an ardent loue rest and settlement vnto happinesse certainly discouered in Christ by the vnderstanding And indeed in Spirits either vncorrupted or rectified this is a natural course For in such the vnderstanding hauing assuredly descryed the soueraigne Good the will presently moueth it selfe to it being deseryed and drawes with it all the parts and powers subiect vnto it And as for all other offers of fained happinesse it giues them this answere Whither shall I goe for this is he that hath the words of eternall Life Blessednes Wherefore that the whole promise be performed and that all may bee giuen for happinesse let the will follow the vnderstanding and wholly and vnmoueably will and loue this Treasure of felicitie discouered in Christ Iesus for saking selling and abandoning all things for it I say let the will sticke to Christ alone by a feruent loue desire as vnto the alone happines and let the same will sticke to Christ alone by a strong trust and confidence as the alone Mediator of happi nesse And finally with an earnest hunger and thirst let it surrender vp it selfe and all things subiect to it vnto his sauing or imparting of blessednes which he doth by the Spirit For thus farre must the wil proceede in working and then only comes the crowne of the worke For it is not inough barely to know that God is happines nor to put thy trust in no other but the Sonne for the imparting of this happinesse but thou must also surrender vp thy selfe wholly to the Holy Ghost by whom the Father powreth and sealeth blessednesse into vs through Christ his Sonne When therefore wee haue proposed and settled the Deitie for our happinesse haue yeelded our selues vp to the three Persons of the same Deitie vnited to the Humanitie for the conferring of happinesse I meane to God the Father redeeming vs by the Sonne and regenerating vs by the holy Ghost then hath the vnderstanding and will wrought home euen to the
readie to moue If it be well followed in a combate with a Beare â—â—en a terrible and vgly temptation it will after leade vs on to the conquest of a Lyon euen of some raigning wickednesse and at last will bring vs to triumph ouer a Gyant euen the prince of wickednesse And as it will leade vs to the increase of the ruine of vice so it will also leade vs to the increase of vertue finally to increase the reward of vertue in eternall felicitie For as it is the naturall and kindly desire of the Spirit to beare fruit so is it likewise his desire to beare more fruit and by obtayning this desire it goes on to a farther desire and so to a farther obtayning if our following bee proportionable to his leading When the Spirit moueth vs to a good worke by fulfilling it wee haue a double profit One is the reward of that worke in glorie the other is the increase of the Spirit by working who being increased will increase more workes vnto more glorie On the other side by neglecting disobaying the Spirit when it moueth wee haue a double losse the first a losse of the good worke and the reward pertayning to it a second is an impouerishing discouragement and weakning of the Spirit against another like occasion for it must needes moue weaker the next time to that work to which before it hath moued in vaine Now farre be it from vs to stop and shorten our owne perfection euen the perfection of holinesse and happinesse which two are inseparable one the measure of the other Let it be farre from vs to abate our felicitie by lesning our obedience yea farre be it from vs to grieue stop that Spirit which demandeth of vs but an excellent and necessarie dutie which is holinesse and that with a condition annexed of the most excellent thing which is happinesse Surely wee discomfort our Comforter we goe into a spirituall consumption we dead our life wee grudge our selues the increase of felicitie when wee resist or neglect the sacred instincts blessed influences of this soueraigne Spirit Whereas on the other side by a readie obedience we inflame the Spirit wee adde fuell to this heauenly fire wee giue that thing food nourishment which giueth food nourishment to our life Eternall For the motion of the Spirit tends to this that we would doe good to our selues by doing good to it and that by sowing vnto it in a speedie and large obedience wee may reape a more full and large haruest of glorie Wherefore let vs be carefull to accept euery proffer of the Spirit as that wherein is an vnited gift of grace and glorie If the Spirit would exercise it selfe in the practice of some vertue let our members as readie seruants runne to the execution thereof If the Spirit stirre vs vp to a strong resolution to make a straighter couenant with our God to draw neerer vnto him by an increased seruice let vs make roome in our heart for the settlement of this pillar and let vs giue way vntill this naile bee driuen vp to the head If the Spirit lust for a vacation from the world and complaine that it is oppressed with an heap of earthly imployments let vs ease it of waight take from it that which surchargeth yea let vs giue it full and steady times of respiration and breathing that it may conuerse with his Fountayne and sucke new streames of refreshing from that abundant and euerslowing Spring If the Spirit desire to warre with the flesh and particularly with some especiall infirmitie let vs come willingly to the fight and helpe the Lord in his battailes euen this Spirit of God against the enemies of God and our felicitie and if wee serue him in the fight we shall triumph with him for the victorie Finally if the Spirit long to cherish it self with the food of the Word or the precious and last Banquet of our dying Redeemer let vs bee carefull to feed the hunger thereof with the food of God in due season So shall wee increase the life of our life and by the growth of the Spirit wee shall grow more gracious here in the sight of our Creator and wee shall grow more glorious hereafter by the increased sight of the same Creator CHAP. V. Another furtherance of the Spirit is watchfulnesse AS Obedience doth cheere and as it were make ioyfull the Spirit within vs so Obedience it selfe is supported by Watchfulnes Therfore though in a second remoued degree is Watchfulnesse a helpe to the Spirit so an Increaser of our felicitie For a Christian coÌ„sisting of a double nature one spirituall and another carnall and two-fold motions proceeding from this two-fold nature and each aduerse yea hurtfull to the other herein must Watchfulnesse helpe vs that the motions of the nature of corruption and miserie bee quickly apprehended and suppressed and that the motions of the Nature of blessednes and grace bee soone espied and furthered Else on the one side the egge of Concupiscence being grown to a Cockatrice before it be seene may kill and on the otherside the excellent desires and pregnancies of the Spirit which would haue brought forth the fruit of glorie may come to abortion by a barren miserable and inglorious neglect Beyond these also hath Watchfulnesse a profitable imployment for it ought to stand as vpon the top of a Towre to espie a farre off as well as neere at hand euen to descry the remote occasions of such motions and to sound the Bel to the soule that shee shut out the Messengers of the enemies of her peace and louingly admit the friends of her happinesse We are safest from euill when euill is kept a good distance from vs and euill is kept at a good distance when wee espie the occasions of euill a farre off and auoid them Many times the occasion is admitted with a hope of not admitting the euill but coÌ„monly the euill throngs in close after the occasion and approching neere vnto vs it ouer-comes vs at handie blowes whom it could not at the Pikes point It is farre easier to kill sinne in the occasion then in it self and to grant the occasion and to denie the sinne is almost as bad Logike in practice as to grant the former Propositions and to denie the Conclusion is in reasoning Therefore let vs keepe the eye of our soule broad-waking that we lye not like waste ground vn-hedged and vn-kept and so become the prey and food of euery wandring Beast euen of euery beastly affection Let vs also stand watching in the dore of our Tent with the Father of the faithfull that when Angels descend vnto vs euen the graces of God through Iesus Christ our Mediator we may bee readie to entertayne them feeding them with the slain concupiscences of our brutish flesh and the kisses of our hearts which are more comfortable then wine To adde intention and earnestnesse to our watchfulnesse against sinne three
vnwelcommed how can hee choose but scorne vs being neglected whom hee might iustly haue despised being sought we are sinful and miserable creatures and God might well haue lothed vs left vs in our bloud but now he that might haue lothed loueth and visiteth and shall we dare to neglect the most great and holy One that commeth to vs most wretched and impure for our owne felicitie let vs rather with watchful soules espie and with humble and deuout affections entertain these heauenly Guests the issues and sparkes of the Deitie Let vs wonder at our owne happinesse that our lowlinesse should bee regarded by the Almightie finally let vs yeeld vp to him the whole roome of this Tabernacle of ours that hee may fully rule and raigne in vs for in his raigning in vs is included our raigning with him For a second motiue let vs consider what it is that this great God sendeth to vs. Surely it is the sap of the Tree of Life a iuyce of Eternitie a food of life euerlasting When his Spirit commeth into vs it is a Light to our darknesse a Purifier of our pollution a conueyance of our Redem ption a celestiall Fire to warm the benummed coldnes of our spirituall bloud a seede of liuing and perpetuall felicitie It offers to guide vs it offers to sanctifie vs it offers vs iustification it offers vs zeale it offers vs eternall Glorie These are presents well becomming such a Giuer of infinite worth as hee is in finite and the least is of more worth then hee is that shall receiue them So the greatest giueth vs gifts greater then our selues and what remaines but that we be inlarged in our affection thereby to inlarge our capacitie of them if it were possible to equall those gifts with loue welcome which our owne persons doe not Let vs with a watchfull care with a seruent loue with hungrie and thirstie soules receiue the bountie of heauen still remembring that free mercie is the Ladder by which these blessings descend vpon vs by which mercie alone God becomes so familiar with Man as to visite him And as God is free to be mercifull so he is free to bee angrie if his mercie be contemned And if once the Ladder of mercie be taken vp into heauen then shall wee see a great Gulfe of distance and separation betweene GOD and Man Man is far vnable and vnfit to approch to the same God being angrie whom with a confident boldnesse hee might intreat behold being mercifull The way is cut off betweene GOD Man by changing mercie into furie and he is become admirable in seueritie who before was wonderfull in familiaritie Therefore to day let vs heare his voyce in the present time without delay without stay or let Let vs not put him off vnto to morrow lest wee be a generation that grieues him and so may not enter into his rest But if our Welbeloued put in his hand by the dore let vs bee affectioned to him yea let vs rise and open to our Welbeloued that wee may bee readie to performe this though wee sleepe yet let our hearts wake Amidst the dreames of worldly pleasure profit which are all but vanitie let our hearts watch for the graces of Eternitie Let vs giue heede to that One kind of things which is only necessary let our harts bee onely in earnest when they regard the things of soliditie permanence and perpetuitie Doth the Spirit cast foorth his beames to inlighten the Temple of the Spirit let Watchfulnesse bee readie to see this Light and by this Light things otherwise inuisible and inutterable for surely a soule thus inlightned will see more then seuen Men on a Watch-towre Doth the Spirit stirre vp in thee a desire of meditation and a motion to goe aside into heauen by the raptures of contemplation watch apprehend and follow and let Watchfulnesse deliuer thee ouer to obediēce Hast thou motions vnto Prayer vnto spirituall Ioy vnto feeding on the Word or the seales of the Word attend and obey and let him that hath an eare harken what the Spirit saith vnto the Church For thus shall watchfulnes become a true factor and seruant of obedience The Spirit speaketh Watchfulnesse heareth Obedience performeth and the Spirit prospereth CHAP. VI. Of Prayer AN inseparable companion of watchfulnesse and an especiall aduancement of spirituall prosperitie is Prayer for among all the furtherances of the Spirit Prayer goes directly to the fountaine of the Spirit seekes the gift of the Giuer himselfe And indeede whither should our indeuours most addresse themselues but where is most of that which wee seeke and who should exceed him in bountie who exceedes all in that which may bee giuen yea in that goodnesse which is the cause of giuing Wherefore since God alone hath the true abundance of Spirit yea since hee hath promised by his Sonne to giue the Holy Ghost Luk. 11. 13. to them that aske why doe we not haste to this eternall and bottomlesse Spring of the waters of Life where we may fill our selues freely by asking Grace is a chiefe gift of the chiefest Giuer To bee admitted into the presence of the chiefest Giuer is a great priuiledge but being admitted to obtaine also a chiefe gift is a high prerogatiue Why dost thou not then make great vse of this thy great priuiledge yea why dost thou not at once purchase to thy selfe spirituall honour and spiritual profit which both in prayer are together bestowed For if thou art one of those whom God graceth by hearing thou art also one of those to whom God will giue the grace of his Spirit for thy speaking And surely as Prayer is honorable and profitable so it is pleasant and comfortable for we may terme it a little saluation since the soule in Praier clearing her selfe by Faith from fleshly darknesse looketh directly to the face of God the vision of whom is our perfect beatitude if light be pleasant it is far more pleasant to behold the Father of light vvhich though it bee but by the glimpses of faith yet so much as it is so much happinesse it is The soule for the time is in heauen beholdeth God yea beholdeth God beholding her with a gracious countenance through our elder Brother Christ Iesus Wee see in naturall things how ioyfully the young-ones run to their dammes yea children with earnestnesse apply themselues to the brests of their mothers Surely Man hath but one true and very Father but one true Cause and Creator how ioyfully should Man run to this his Originall how earnestly should he suck from God by prayer the nourishment and increase of that spirituall life which himselfe hath begotten in vs Therefore draw neere vnto God by prayer and that continually and earnestly Let thy prayer be continuall because there is in GOD continuall abundance to be prayed for yea because GOD knowes the excellency of his gift and that it is worth long seeking and therefore
if he vse long delay in the grant of thy Petition thereby hee teacheth thee the worth of his gift and demands of thee a large price of earnest and continuall prayer Surely we make no ill bargaine if with the Prayers of a whole temporall life wee obtayne that which is to be inioyed by a life Eternall Therefore bee not weary of continuance in seeking for whiles thereby thou acknowledgest the great worth of that which thou seekest and thine owne great neede of the bountie and supply of thy Creator God that takes pleasure in this acknowledgement of thy prayers will grant what pleasing acceptable prayers doe request of him And indeede where canst thou in thy wants better bestow thy thoughts and whither wouldest thou turne them from God since our helpe standeth only in the Name of the Lord and there is none but God that heareth and granteth prayers In GOD alone is the Sabbath and rest of our soules battered with necessities cares and temptations And therfore God inuited vs by his Apostle to take cares and sorrowes out of our owne hearts and to lay them in his hands for he careth for vs himselfe Surely if with the King of Iudah before the Arke of Gods presence we vnfold the letters of defiance which the infernall enemie sends vs in his firie temptations if with the same King being neere vnto death especiall the death spirituall we morne before God as Doues and lift vp our eyes to him on high no doubt but he that dwelleth on high will send downe his Angels of deliuerance to rebuke Satan to chase him away into the deepe and will also send the Spirit of life to adde life vnto our decaying life And though prayers of length and continuance doe not worke meerely by their length yet are they powerfull by another meanes For God being a Spirit hath professed himselfe to bee pleased by the seruice of the Spirit and the more seruice of the Spirit the more GOD is pleased So while in the length and continuance of Prayer much of the Spirit is powred out there is much acceptation of the same with God who is greatly delighted with spirituall sacrifices And as much Spirit in continued prayer is powerfull with GOD so much Spirit vented and darted forth euen in one petition is forcible with the same God God suffers himselfe to be ouercome by the feruencie of the Spirit whether by degrees vttering it selfe or all at once SALOMON in a long Prayer and the Publican in a short were both heard the Publican shooting forth the whole strength of his soule in one petition which SALOMON dispersed into many But in the length of our prayers let vs remember this that the Spirit is the wingednes of Prayer by which it pierceth the heauens and it is no longer prayer but babbling when some measure of the Spirit doth not expresse it selfe therein Now wee know that we pray in the Spirit so long as by the light thereof wee behold God in Christ to whom we pray and the fitnesse and necessitie of the things for which we pray and by the feruencie thereof wee earnestly desire and thirst after the things wee pray for I must needes confesse that some-times the Spirit of prayer supplication doth hide and withdraw it selfe so that we cannot perfectly fulfill all these parts but then let vs lament our own dulnesse and pray or at least grone some grone of the Spirit for the Spirit of prayer let vs bee earnest with God that he will open our lips that our mouth may speake to his praise wee shall seldome depart without a blessing And if God yet delaies vs for hee seldome finally denies vs let vs cast vp short eiaculations desiring God to accept our desires to pray and to giue vs those things which hee knowes to bee best which our hearts do implicitly pray for though not openly and finally to forgiue vs our dulnesse and to heare Christ Iesus praying for vs. But in the shortnesse of prayer let vs take heed that we doe it not out of idlenesse or neglect of God as if God were not worthy of more labour or prayer were a thing of little profit or value but let such short Petitions bee vented forth either by reason of impotency in prayer or vpon a fulnesse of the heart by reason of some incident meditation or because of our shame and confusion of face for some lothsome sinne when with the Publican we be ashamed to lift vp our eyes to heauen and to enter into a sudden familiaritie with God being so newly polluted and hauing so lately offended him and then it may bee in stead of prayer with PETER to weepe bitterly for GOD heareth the voyce of PETERS teares aswell as of ABELS bloud and anon to cast forth Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I know GOD forgiueth at once yet the comfort of that which hee doth at once must wee receiue by degrees and wee must not too suddenly leap out from the sorrow for sin into the comfort of Gods promises but with MIRIAM wee must for a certayne time and that proportionably greater or lesse according to the measure of the sinne I say wee must beare the shame of offending so high a Maiestie and by vndergoing some burthen punishment of sorrow acknowledge the weight of sinne make sinne lothsome to vs and feele it burthensome and intolerable and being armed to this point that voice of Christ is then both sweetest and fittest to be heard Come vnto me ye heauy laden and I will refresh you DAVID hauing his pardon pronounced by the Prophet yet after he ceaseth not to feele the lothsomnes of his sinne and in the 51. Psalme prayeth that his sin may bee pardoned and his iniquity purged that which was at once done in heauen he desires with time to feele more sealed and imparted to him on earth Lastly such may vse short prayer to whom bodily infirmitie alloweth not the bent of long meditation of such GOD requires according to that they haue and not according to that they haue not and to them a short Petition may bee accepted for a long Prayer yea a sigh of the Spirit may bee like a Diamond of great value though it lye in a little roome But ordinarily let vs thinke it best to imitate the ancient Saints who haue worshipped God in a continuing and combined forme of prayer the patternes whereof are often to bee found in the Word of life And as our prayers must be continual so stil let vs striue to make them earnest seruent and vehement that it may still appeare vnto God that wee haue an earnest desire to bee heard Otherwise coldnesse in asking may wel deserue coldnesse in granting and since giuing is more then asking that which doth not merit the lesser how may wee think it should procure the greater Againe God himselfe by the Parable of the vniust Iudge like SAMSON hath shewed vs how hee may be bound for he hath
For how can a Creator continue his bountie when hee sees his Creature doth onely make vse of him that he sorues his owne turne vpon him and makes himself the end of God and not God the end of himselfe Therefore euenholy HEZEKIAH while he is more carefull to shew the glorie of his Treasures to the Heathen Ambassadors then to giue glorie to God for his health by which he inioyed them the treasures must bee carried away to the same Babylon whose Ambassadors he had intertayned with the sight of them The heart of man being filled with blessings must not bee lifted vp within it selfe but it must bee lifted vp with praise and thankfulnesse to the Authour of those blessings Therefore hauing receiued some Talents of grace let vs returne vnto God some other Talents of glorie and then to vs by whom hee receiues aduantage shall more bee giuen but if otherwise that which wee haue shall be taken away God hath put al things in order to himselfe and vpon this order the God of order rayneth his blessings If then wee will bee vnder his blessings we must be vnder this order wee must looke towards him glorifying praising if wee will haue him looke towards vs blessing sanctifying Therefore in summe Let vs pray continually and feruently and in al things giue thanks which is the will of God in Christ Iesus towards vs. If wee conclude our Psalme 33. with Prayer Let thy mercy and grace bee multiplied vpon vs as we trust in thee let vs begin it with thankfulnesse Reioyce in the Lord O ye righteous for it becommeth vpright men to bee thankefull For if thus Psal. 66. we call to him with our mouth and also exalt him with our tongue God will heare vs and will consider our prayer wee shall againe praise God who doth not put backe our prayer nor his mercy from vs. CHAP. VII Of Meditation ANother speciall preseruatiue and restauratiue of the Spirit is Meditation Hereby the beames of the heauenly Spirit are contracted into a point vpon the soule as the beames of the Sunne by a Cristall whereby the light and heate of grace are increased and multiplied into a spirituall Fire The soule goeth in from the flesh into the Spirit and bathing and anoynting her selfe in that Oile of gladnes shee sharpneth her sight and quickneth her might becomes much abler to see into heauen to see into her selfe to see and iudge the things on earth Hereby she groweth in the knowledge acquaintance of her soueraign Good hereby she takes out Lessons of a comfortable departing out of this world of vanitie vnto her Citie of blessednes and hereby shee iudgeth best of her own fitnesse for that happy voyage And hauing iudged her selfe in Meditation by the same she studies to increase that which is right in her through the remembrance of profitable motiues and documents heard read or conceiued and shee indeuoureth to cast away all that presseth downe and whatsoeuer sinne hinders by cleauing on too fast If we would speak of the subiect of Meditation wee might name all that is for al things haue in them some profitable doctrine and are Teachers of the glorie of their Creator But if we aske for the chiefest Matter and that which is most aduantageable to the Citizens of the New Ierusalem which is our present businesse Then let the soule flye vp from this place of miserie and take vp her rest in her only Rest. Let her thoughts bee on her happinesse and the way vnto it and let that be her chief meditation which is her chiefe concernment And that shee may draw neerer vnto happinesse by the wings of an inflamed affection Let her consider the beautie of the highest Essence let her thinke vpon a glorie creating and vncreated let her thinke on the Light of that Light which darkneth and shaddoweth the Sunne when shee hath thus thought let her know the glorie happinesse which shee shall inioy is more beyond her highest imagination then imagination can be beyond any thing which is seene Let vs also consider what God hath beene and is to vs as well as what hee is in himselfe and to this end let vs cast our inward eye on the great loue of him who is both our Fountaine and Felicitie our Beginning and End Let vs consider how great things this infinite loue hath done for vs from how great a miserie hee hath translated vs to make vs partakers and intoyers of himselfe and by the greatnesse of the effects let vs ghesse at the infinitenesse of the Cause There is nothing greater then Himselfe and this greatest Himselfe hath he giuen to Man by a wonderfull and mysterious Incarnation Hee hath also giuen the Bloud and Life of this incarnate Deitie to ransome vs the slaues bondmen of guilt and punishment from eternal death He hath giuen vs also his most pure sacred Spirit to purge the most lothsom corruption of our lustfull generation He hath giuen vs infinite blessings of this life and all these that we might serue him in holinesse without the feare of our enemies and hereafter may inioy him in that Kingdome wherein wee shall triumph ouer these enemies But hauing waighed though the weake ballances of our vnderstandings bee far vnable to beare and containe the exceeding weight of this infinite loue of God then let vs consider how wee ought to answer this loue with loue his mercies by thankfulnes and obedience And when we haue found out our dutie then let vs examine our performance euen whether the goodnesse of God hath had a perfect working vpon vs and hath brought forth fruits answerable to it and whether we haue sufficiently yeelded vp our selues vnto God in his blessed work of making vs blessed And herein let vs rippe vp our soules euen the very bowels of our consciences and let vs tent the bottome of our hearts to feele what is sound and what vnsound in them that the sound parts may be cherished and the vnsound healed If wee see any sparke of the Spirit let vs kindle it into a fire let the infinitenesse of that loue which is our patterne draw vs on by imitation to a continual inlargement of our loue and of the fruit of loue obedience If by Meditation we taste the sweetnesse of God in the Spirit dwelling in vs Let vs thirst afresh for the liuing GOD who the more he is thirsted after the more hee giues of the waters of Life So shall thirst increase that which satisfies thirst and the satisfying of the thirst shall increase our thirst that so the satisfaction may still increase The Riuer of Regeneration points vs to the Ocean of Regeneration euen the Spirit within vs vnto the great Spirit aboue vs. From him it confesseth that it commeth to him it desires to returne that so it may come larger from him then it returned to him But if by the inquest of our meditation wee finde that some rebellious
of an ill action like a Rule it will presently shew vs the crookednesse of it point vs to the right way from whence we haue straied and if it haue beene too long deferred so that the sinne is past before it was called for then will it bee a Seer vnto thee to tell thee thy sinne and to deliuer thee ouer to the larger meditation of Repentance Secondly if thou art in a good and right action it stands by thee to abet and incourage thee thou art in the path of Gods protection in the way where the Angels gard and watch Goe on valiantly feare not what man nor euill angels can doe vnto thee Thus shall the soule cōtinue her flight towards heauen if euer among shee anoynt her feathers with this Oile of the Spirit For in this respect shee is not vnlike those flying fishes whose wings by flying grow drie and by being drie lose their flying so that still they must haue recourse to the Sea by the moysture thereof still to make good their flight So the soule flying through this world vnto heauen her wings euen her cogitations purposes and conceptions will grow drie by earthly conuersation and therefore must bee new oyled with grace if they will carry her throughly to her iourneys end The cares and temptations of this life quickly dry vp the heauenly Vnction and so the soule is in danger to fall if she doe not often moisten her selfe in the Riuers of Oyle which flow from the eternall Spirit and thither doth this short Meditation direct vs. Lastly we may adioyne hereunto incident occasionall Meditations which will bee very vsefull vpon the receiuing of extraordinary blessings or the suffering of vnwonted chastizements It is fit wee should search out Gods meaning as neere as we may by the light of his Word when he speaketh to vs in his fauors and frownes His blessings should bee esteemed like so many bands of obedience and thou shouldest acknowledge both in heart and actions that each of them calls to thee for more Loue more Thankefulnes more Holinesse Yea thou art by them led vnto Humilitie for when thou lookest on Gods blessings and thy sinfull selfe at once thou must needs cry out I am lesse then the least of thy blessings and what is man that the Lord regardeth and visiteth him yea the bountie of God leadeth thee to Repentance and God is often to vs a patterne of ouercomming euill with good euen our sinnes with his Mercies Hee dresseth and manureth many times a fruitlesse Tree that he may receiue fruit from it Therefore bee thou amended by his benefits and increase thy fruit otherwise blessings made vnfruitfull are the fore-rūners of cursings and dressing if to no purpose is the way to digging vp and casting into the fire Likewise let the chastizements of God be entertayned by Meditation vnto thy profit and aduancement They would haue thee either to examine thy selfe of some neglected sin or they would haue thee repent euen for thy secret sinnes for though thou know nothing by thy selfe yet art thou not thereby acquited or they would haue thee humble thy proud heart vnder the mightie hand of God or they would spurre thee to a speedier and more actiue Zeale or they would teach thee the skill of that excellent vertue Patience and instruct thee to loue God afflicting and to trust in him slaying Some of these are commonly the purposes and ends of affliction and if thou take occasion by chastizements to put them all in execution thou shalt bee the surer to hit the right one and so to bee a gainer by thy sufferings But before wee leaue this subiect if wee would know which is generally the best and fittest habitude of Man for the receiuing of profit by the larger and more leisurable kinde of Meditation Surely it is when the body least burdeneth the soule especially when shee is least clogged with the grosse vapours of fulnesse and repletion It is truely said by the Wiseman That the corruptible bodie weigheth downe the soule and therefore as truely it may be said That the bodie rarified and lessened by abstinence lighteneth the soule when the eyes or eares which see and heare the soule are stopt vp by thick exhalations the soule cānot tel the dul body what the Spirit of God doth tell it But since spirituall things are spiritually discerned surely then are spirituall things best discerned when the bodie is most spirit-like and least bodily When the Lanthorne of the flesh is pared and thinned by Abstinence then the Light of the soule shineth most cleerly through it Saint PAVL spake of the Man that saw Reuelations vnvtterable that whether hee were in the body or out of the body hee knew not so if wee will see Reuelations otherwise inconceiuable wee must striue to goe out of the body so farre by abstinence as wee may with preseruing the bodie For certaine it is That the soule inlightened by Grace if it were not for the cloud of the bodie would shine out to vs in many notable and excellent Truths and therefore hee takes the true course to meete them that goes a little out of his body towards them And surely such soules so walking toward God by going out of the flesh into the Spirit GOD hath often met with heauenly Visions whereas others shutting vp their windows by continuall fulnes haue lost great Reuelations To DANIEL fasting GABRIEL appeared to PETER fasting the Sheete was let downe from Heauen and to CORNELIVS fasting euen to the ninth houre an Angell was sent from God And surely this latter kind of fasting seemes most profitable for Meditation euen the fast of the Morning rather then of the Euening For in the Morning after rest the Spirits are freshest and most capable both of Light and Action they are most lightsome most actiue for Meditation And as fasting kindles the bright flame of Meditation so the true and kindly fire of Meditation sends vp to Heauen the smoke and incense of Prayer For fasting is an excellent Preparatiue to Meditation and Meditation to PRAYER Without abstinence Meditation lesseneth her Light without Meditation Praier lesseneth her might but Meditation ioyned to Abstinence mounteth the higher and Prayer mounted on Meditation pierceth the swifter and reacheth the neerer to Heauen Againe as by Abstinence we are made the fitter to meditate and by Meditation made the fitter to pray so by Prayer wee get a greater fitnesse and ability both for Abstinence and Meditation Such Prayer blesleth the meanes by which it is begotten by going to the Father of blessings and it is of a great power with GOD euen so powerfull that some kind of Deuils go not out but by it Let vs therefore often abstaine that wee may often meditate and when wee haue dwelt awhile in Meditation let vs goe forth into Prayer For Prayer thus inflamed by Meditation is as the Sacrifice of Israel kindled by the fire of Heauen and such a Sacrifice is indeed
onely acceptable Without fire it is no Sacrifice for euery sacrifice must bee salted with fire with strange fire as of superstition or the flesh it is worse then no Sacrifice and therfore it must euen be the heauenly fire of Grace which makes the Sacrifices acceptable and this is most fitly kindled by Meditation And thus if wee kindle the fire of Grace by the Bellowes of Meditation this fire that now guideth moueth and comforteth our soules in the Pilgrimage of this life shall in the next life breake out into a flame of Glory wherein we shall bee inthroned like the Sun shining before the lesser Starres in brightnesse as we haue here excelled them in Holinesse CHAP. VIII Of Association AS euery strong thing is made stronger by the combination of a like thing vnto it and as the heat is the more increased by the meeting of diuers things that haue heate So is also the Spirit increased in vs by the fellowship of them that haue the Spirit When spirituall Men ioyn their spiritual strength together they will like DAVIDS valiant men breake more strongly thorow the Hosts of the Philistians temptations obiections and afflictions and fetch away more safely and soundly the Waters of Grace from the Fountaine of Life This Association of Saints is that Bed of SALOMON wherein two lying together haue heate but he lyeth in the Bed of woe that lyes alone When two strings of diuers Instruments are set to one Tune if one of them bee mooued the other leapeth and danceth And how can it bee but that when two men tuned by one Spirit do meet the Spirit of the one must needs reioyce and be liuely when it heareth the voice of the Spirit in the other IOHN BAPTIST being sanctified with Grace in his Mothers wombe euen in that wombe springeth for ioy at the voyce of that Virgin who was intitled Full of Grace Yea ELIZABETH her selfe falleth into an heauenly Trance and rising aboue her selfe she is filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesieth the blessednesse of the Virgins Son Surely there is not a more pleasant and comfortable thing then Harmonie for it is indeed the ground of all pleasure Now the chiefest Harmony is of the chiefest things and these are Spirits The highest of this kind is in the highest Spirit euen of himselfe with himselfe The second betweene the highest and the lower And the third betweene the lower themselues From this last Harmonie doth arise both ioy and incouragement our Spirit first is cheered then incouraged and so aduan ced in the way of Holines The Saints of God either by their gracious words or holy Examples stirre vp the gifts of God in vs they eyther adde something to our Zeale or something to our knowledge yea if they be inferior to vs in both yet by instructing and prouoking them we many times instruct and prouoke our selues Surely there issueth oft-times from the meanest something which may better the best either immediately or by the consequence of some Meditations awaked by conference Euen in the communication of the Spirit the Spirit increaseth and our Talent by lending multiplyeth in the most profitable and commendable Vsurie For the Spirit is so excellently good that it desires to haue his goodnesse communicated yea it will reward thee that giuest it abroad by increasing thy abilitie of giuing So art thou made a great gainer for it is doubly multiplyed to thee as it is the Bread of Life for thy eating and as it is the Seed of Life for thy sowing the more thou sowest the more mayest thou eate and the more mayest thou sow Wherefore let vs not as some doe forsake the fellowship communion of Saints Let vs not make the Spirit in vs both dumbe deafe by separation and diuision for such it is when it cannot heare nor speake the language of heauen Let vs not depriue our selues of the great benefits of spirituall traffike commerce thereby knitting vp and stopping the prosperitie growth and enlargement of the Spirit Let vs not bind our selues to our own infirmities falls and wants for lacke of opening and cōmunicating our estates for many haue falne and neuer risen againe because they haue gone alone neglecting the companie of such who could haue giuen them the hand to raise them from their falls Wee are all Brethren and Countrimen and withal Pilgrims in a strange Countrie How glad should Brethren and Countrimen be to meet in a strange Land especially in the Land of enemies such as this World is For this World shunneth vs it hateth vs our persons and our courses are odious because contrarie to them How should their strangenesse malice increase our mutuall loue and conuersation How much more need haue we to counsell conferre each with other since wee liue as it were in a siege of temptations and persecutions And if the wisedome of Religion cannot perswade vs let the patterns of Nature which are the books of the Ignorant teach vs let the herds of Beasts and the swarmes of Bees the flights of Doues instruct thee to beleeue that things of one kind preserue and cherish one another by mutuall societie But if for all this wee will needes bee strangers one to another differing and dissenting among our selues Let vs be sure that we then rip that loue from our selues which is the badge of the Family of God wee lose the comfort of loue which is one of the greatest in our way to happinesse we separate those whom God hath knit together we lose good instructions and good examples and finally wee weaken our selues by diuision and make the scattered Armie of God a prey vnto their pursuing enemies Let vs much rather with the Prince Prophet reioyce in them which excel in vertue Let our delight bee in the Saints on earth and let the sons of God loue their Brethren begotten by the same Father Let vs confirme and prouoke one another to good works Let vs associate our selues to them who by word or deed can supply our spiritual defects from whose speech wee may learne what wee know not and by whose exhortation wee may bee mooued to performe that which wee know and doe not and by whose examples wee may haue vertues patterned vnto vs shewed to bee possible yea easie to the resolute man of God But neuerthelesse in this Christian good fellowship doe not pull out thy owne eyes that thou mayest loue all alike that carry the title of Christians Thinke not all them to be Israel that put on the name of Israel Where thou seest no contrarie cause there let charitie carry away thy affection but in a degree according to the degree of vertue Yea though thou seest fals and slips if acknowledged and recouered restore such a one with the Spirit of meeknesse lest thou haue need also to be restored by him But if thou seest one couering a continuall Couetousnesse Pride Malice Oppression and such other sinnes with a long thicke cloke of
imposeth a necessitie on him to loue the one and hate the other to lose the one and to gaine the other Therefore as much as wee retayne of this corrupt felicitie so much doe we abate of true Happinesse and the roome that is giuen to the one is denyed to the other And surely too true it is that euen after our Regeneration there abides a great remnant of our proud corruption It is of kin to the Serpent which perswaded it when the head of it is broken in pieces the tayle will still bee moouing And in what degree this corruption remaineth in that degree is grace abated but in what degree this swelling euill is abated in the same degree is Grace increased Therefore if we be much proud wee are much gracelesse if we be much humble we be much gracious Wherefore let vs take vp Humilitie which as a Corrosiue will fret away the proud flesh make way for the prosperitie of the liuely and quickning Spirit Towards this let vs consider that the Naturall Man being stuft vp with himselfe and not regarding any thing beyond the Lust and Law of his owne heart sits downe in himselfe and takes vp his rest Sabbath and felicitie in his owne imagination But while God is vnregarded and vnsought he also as little regardeth these vnregarders yea hee beholdeth the proud a-far-off He knowes the weight and end of their swelling that it is Nothing that ere long it shall come to Nothing and that at last these swellers must come before him as a Iudge who refused him here for a Sauiour and happinesse On the other side the spirituall Man plainly seeth that this imaginarie happinesse of pride is true miserie since Man the more hee stands vpon himselfe without God the more weakly wretchedly he stands and the fuller Man is of himselfe the fuller is he of Corruption Vanitie and Miserie Therefore desireth hee to goe out of himselfe into God to vnlade himselfe of himselfe that hee may be filled with God hee purgeth his heart of the tree of false knowledge that he may satiate it with the Tree of Life And Humilitie hauing thus fulfilled her Worke then enters Grace into the Soule so swept and trimmed for the same God who resisteth the Proud giueth Grace to the humble God will be a welcome and not a fulsome Guest he loues not to come when there is no neede of him he desires not to thrust vnnecessarie Happines vpon Men sufficiently happie But the hungrie soules hee filleth with good things he guideth the meeke humble in his wayes and the poore in Spirit are allowed only to receiue the Gospell These haue set open their doores to the King of Glorie they haue forgotten their Fathers house euen their naturall condition and therefore the LORD hath pleasure in their beautie His Light takes pleasure yea gets Glory in comming into confessed Darknesse his Grace is delighted and magnified by pardoning and sanctifying an acknowledged corruption and his blessednesse reioyceth in blessing apparant and desperate miserie Wherefore let vs striue for a practicall skill of this profitable humilitie that by not louing our selues wee may loue our soules best by the greatest emptinesse we may purchase the most true happy fulnesse To this end let vs euer be pricking the tumours of our nature that we die not of a spirituall Timpany Let vs striue to make our selues nothing that hee which made all things of nothing may make some-thing of vs. Let vs willingly walke downe into the Vale of humilitie from whence God calls for all whom hee exalteth vp to his holy Mountaine And for the furtherance of this holy vertue let watchfulnes vndertake as a speciall part of this taske to marke the first swellings of the heart that they may bee abated as soone as lifted vp Let no degree bee allowed to that which so much as it is so much euill so much losse it is so much haue wee offended God and so much haue wee abated his Grace But still let vs be paring and fretting off the proud flesh with meditations of our owne naturall miserie and miserable condition with the asperitie of the exercises of Humiliation with feruent and violent Prayer sent vp to the Giuer of perfect gifts Let vs intreate him that hee will discouer vnto vs our selues himselfe our owne vilenesse his Glory that so wee may rightly glory in Gods true Glorie not like Fooles in our owne shame In our Meditations let vs fasten our eies on the wickednesse of Man the wretchednes deseruedly annexed to it In our wicked corruption let vs first see our owne blindnes and bring our darknesse into the light There shall we see that we see little or nothing yea in the mayne matters of our life such as are our beginning and end whence we come and whither wee goe wee are naturally blind Therefore our life is but a thing at randome without knowing what it doth and wherefore it is And if we haue gotten a little knowledge then let vs behold our filthinesse How doe wee defile our selues in the things which wee know how weake are our resolutions of Pietie Vertue they are like a Mist or the Morning dew blown away and dryed vp with euery blast of Temptation So that they seeme to be set vp only for shewes and to stand no longer then nothing toucheth them But the motions of our concupiscence are strong and continuall The flesh of Man is powerfull vpon the Soule and in Man that opinion is verified that the Earth runs round and the Heauen stands still For there breatheth vp from the defiled bodie euen the Earth of Man a continuall and mightie Venom which by perpetuall motion changeth the aspect and influence of the heauenly Soule as it selfe lifteth But the whiles it fastneth and nayleth the Soule that shee cannot stir about her owne businesse of Immortalitie but shee must wholly fixe and employ her selfe in a carefull studie how to execute fitly the lusts of this beastly dust And if at any time the Soule lothing the filth and mire wherewith shee hath sullied her selfe euen to vglinesse lay downe a plot for repentance euen for the clean washing of her face how soone doth the old dirt of sinne spowt into her visage again so that her businesse in this life if it be a life of penitence seemes to be nothing but a washing of that which is fouled and a fouling of that which was washed and if wee turne our eyes from this filthines vnto the bordering wretchednesse we shall find our selues subiect to a thousand infirmities Miserie Vanitie haue both liuerie and seisin in vs and we are their Tenants for terme of life One trouble calleth to another as the waues of the Sea and miseries like Beacons giue notice one to the other vntill the whole life of man bee set on fire The sound of the old is but newly gon out of our eares but there is a new which presently
of euery winde As continuall as the miserie of Man is so continuall is the distemper of Men impatient and as often as troubles doe happen so often be they lifted vp frō the hindges of their soules and remooued into the habitations of their blinde and vncomfortable flesh Such a one is cleane besides himselfe euen besides his Soule which is the reason that hee can neither aduise nor comfort himselfe For the vnderstanding which should direct is as a Candle put out or couered with a Bushell the will and affections which by the succours of Reason should support and strengthen are drawn away from lending their seruice to Reason and so to Man and are become slaues of Passion and Perturbation And so it comes to passe that in such cases a mans owne will and affections which should sustaine and cherish him doe distract and teare him to pieces And commonly it falls out with the impatient that to the euill of affliction which might haue been turned to good hee addeth two euils more of his owne euill actions and euill passions committing foolish things and doing cruell things against his own Soule and Heart And these two are commonly the greater kinde of euils and which the enmitie of Grace most intendeth and therefore by vs especially should be preuented Satan in spoyling the Flockes in destroying the Children in tormenting the bodie of holy IOB did not so much ayme to make him poore childlesse and full of paine as to make him desperate and rebellious against his Creatour and Sauiour by impatience His greatest Malice is against our greatest Happinesse he knowes wee are still blessed while God is one with vs though we be poore naked and full of sores as LAZARVS who in this life tormented yet was after exalted to ABRAHAMS bosome He values our chiefe Felicitie at a higher and a truer rate then many of vs doe and he values temporall things at a lower rate then many of vs doe Therefore hee will indifferently take or giue temporall things to diminish our eternall ioyes he will assay either by proffers or by plagues to draw vs from our soueraigne Good And wee more foolishly and ignorantly are readie to forsake eternall felicitie whensoeuer Satan will hire vs with temporall commoditie or beate vs from it with momentanie afflictions But it becommeth vs not to bee ignorant of Satans policies where Satans eye is most settled to hurt vs let our eye bee there most fixed for our preseruation Toward this let vs thus farre ioyne with Satan yea learne of him if wee knew it not before that the vnion and agreement of our Soule with God is the vnion of felicitie and therefore whatsoeuer wee lose let vs not part from that If Satan rob vs of a bagge of Siluer let vs not call after him and bid him take a bagge of Gold also If hee afflict vs outwardly yet surrender not to him thy inward and euerlasting Happinesse He is a Prince in this World and so can doe great things in the World He can persecute he can exalt he can torment But hee is a slaue us concerning the other World which is called the Kingdome of Heauen Hee cannot reach to this Kingdome which is in the Soule where GOD is the King Therefore by the things of this life on which hee hath power hee reacheth to the things of the next life on which hee hath no power that by his owne hee may preuaile on that which is Gods But we on the other side as we know the Deuils purpose so let vs know his bounds and then wee shall be safe Let vs know that he can only stretch his power to temporall and outward things and no further and the inward things hee must get by surrender or else he cannot conquer them Wherefore bee carefull to keepe him at his true distance if Satan haue leaue to winnow thee outwardly yet pray to thy Mediator that hee pray that thy faith faile not if hee cause thy outward man to perish bee thou carefull that thy inward man bee renewed daily and take heed that thou giue not more to him then he hath alreadie especially giue not thy eternitie for his vanitie neither giue him an vsurped power ouer the Kingdome of Heauen to which hee is a base slaue and by which he shall be iudged Cast not to him thy soule after thy bodie nor thy soule and bodie after thy goods if the Prince of this World will haue the things of the World yeeld to this Prince what must needes bee giuen to this Prince but the things of GOD giue only to GOD the things of Grace and Glorie reserue for the Author of Grace and the King of Glorie For want of this restraint and limitation of Satans power haue many Saints of God lost the possession of their soules and in those times of extasie haue vndertaken dolefull actions and executions which haue grieued and pined the Spirit within them and haue made worke for a long-after-sorrow and vexation of soule Surely NABALS churlishnesse entred too farre into DAVIDS spirit and the iniurie of the Thessalonians too much deliuered away the soule of THEODOSIVS into furie and the questions of the High Priests Seruants stole away too much of PETERS Courage and Resolution These holy men sometimes by their frailty gaue too much way and yeelded too great aduantage to Satan But some there bee who are perfect in Satans arte of impatience and therefore are his highest and greatest schollers Let the Deuill throw but one crosse to them they will take their soules and throw them to the Deuils head for they breake out either into some cursed rage or into the rage of cursing or into some cursed action Such a one is the Deuils Water-spaniell he goes and brings what the Deuill sends for and if hee bid him bring his owne soule hee carries it many times to him in his owne mouth euen in a mouth of Reuiling Reuenge Curses and Execrations But let vs rather consider that Mankind stands betweene two Spirits the Spirit of Light and the Spirit of Darknes and each of them hath a seuerall doore into Mans heart to possesse and inhabit it The Spirit of Blessednesse comes in by the doore of the Spirit and this is opened vnto him by the Key of Patience The spirit of Hell enters by the doore of the flesh and this is vnlocked to him by impatience Now troubles afflictions knock at both these doores they knock at the doore of the Spirit calling to vs to open to the Lord of Life with the Key of Patience who is now comming by afflictions to nurture and to instruct vs euen to increase vs in the fruits of Righteousnesse But afflictions knock likewise at the doore of the flesh and by the feeling of smart perswade Impatience to open to the prince of darknesse since so griefe may be eased and it seemes a vaine thing to please serue an afflicting and chastizing God But take heed thou open not the
doth cause his countenance to shine fauourably on vs. Finally if the name of friendship bee sweet if loue on earth be a chiefe comfort and againe if the friendship and loue of good men of men wise in the chiefest wisedome of men true single in heart be the eminence of this eminent comfort then haue we all this in the Saints and sonnes of God For these are our friends vnto the death yea after death their loue is more equal stable then the loue of Women For goodnesse they are the salt of the world and without them the world is vnsauourie for wisedome they haue that chiefe wisedome which is to know and obtaine the soueraigne Good and for truth they haue that sincerity of heart which may giue rest to the heart that puts confidence in them Wherefore if it be a speciall addition in matches to match into a good family let vs know that in our marriage with our Sauiour wee match into the best family in the world the family of Saints euen a house-hold of Loue of Faith of Holinesse and of Happinesse Besides by our vnion with Christ we haue a new right in the Creatures We were disinherited by the fault of our first Parents and no part of our Fathers goods belonged vnto vs so the vse of Gods Creatures was a very robbery of God for it carried a meere absurditie that they whose liues were a continuall enmitie against God should preserue the same wicked liues by the benefits of GOD. Therefore the despisers of God haue no title in regard of God to the Creatures of God And though in regard of men they may seeme to haue a propertie in them it being not in the iudgement of men to define who is not and shall not bee the Child of God yet hereafter by the iudgement of God which shall make hidden things manifest it shall plainly appeare that this propertie was not by right but by vsurpation and by the long suffering of a most patient God And then shal they be cast into prison vntill they haue paid the vtmost farthing for their vnlawfull vse of the blessings of GOD. I must confesse they haue these benefits that in the greatest abundance but it is no otherwise then a prodigall borrower hath heapes of money lent or rather as a thiefe hath bags of treasure stolne The repayment of the borrower makes the remembrance of the heapes lothsome vnto him because the more they were the greater is the burthen and account The arraignment of the Thiefe makes him to curse the hugenesse of his bags for the greater the theft the harder the pardon and the more strict his sentence Therefore as in the things of this world there hath beene an honest wise and safe Prouerbe that a little of a mans owne is better then a great deale of another mans so in the Words of God we shall find a holier wiser and safer Prouerbe that a little thing to the Righteous yeelds more stedfast and vndoubtfull contentment then the greatest reuenues of the wicked can yeeld to their vnfaithfull vngrounded consciences And no maruel for they take the goods without the leaue of the Owner and transport them to the seruice of his Enemies fleshly lusts and an aduersarie angell and what shall the Lord of these things doe when hee commeth to iudgement Hee must needes render vengeance in flaming fire to these that haue robbed him of his Creatures and of the seruice and glorie due by them But they that are one with Christ are one with him who is true Heire of all things Al things were made by him and therefore all things are his owne and by our marriage with him wee haue a right in his goods Therefore truely may wee say If Christ bee ours all things bee ours for he whose all things are is ours And by his owne reason if hee giue vs the greatest gift which is himselfe hee cannot with-hold from vs the lesser which is his Creatures Besides these there is also a continual eie of Fatherly prouidence that watcheth ouer vs. The Redeemer of Israel is the Watchman of Israel and the Watchman of Israel doth not slumber or sleepe but at all times beholdeth all his flocke As the Sunne seemeth directly to behold looke on euery man that looketh vp to the Sunne so and much more doth the eye of GODS prouidence settle it selfe fully on euery one that is indeed a Man euen a Man of God which with the eye of his soule still looks vp vnto his God And then by his prouidence God doth hedge him about in safetie for hee seeth his dangers to preuent them and his necessities to releeue them The same prouidence sends some-times good Angels to gard him and when hee wanders it sends buffetting Angels to beate him home into the path of happinesse and through the diuers exercises of humiliation and exaltation it keepes him in one steadie course to his soueraigne Good Surely it is an especiall comfort to an heauenly Souldier to performe his seruice in the sight of his Prince whose eye incourageth him fighting valiantly whose power reseueth him being oppressed and whose bountie scores vp all his aduentures and sufferings vnto a finall reward And this reward is of such a glorie that the highest degree of suffering is not worthy of the least and lowest degree of this Glorie Lastly though it bee hard to giue a taste of Gods blessing in this life the Spirit of Christ besides the light of direction and clarification besides the Oyle of gladnesse besides that highest and supremest Vnion it giues also to the members of Christ a Testimoniall and Patent of their saluation and happinesse The light of direction somtimes growes dimme the light of glorie and the vanishing brightnesse are often extinguished the sauour of the oyntment for which the Virgin-Spouse doth loue her Lord Christ Iesus somtimes is drawn vp into heauen and the feeling of that Diuine Vnion is for a time wholly lost But though heauen and earth do passe yet one word of God cannot passe Now the Word of Gods Spirit is the Word of God for God speaketh to vs by his Spirit If therefore that Spirit hath giuen thee his testimonie that thou art the sonne of God if it haue shewed thee thy Regeneration and caused thee to behold the true Image of God thy Father in thee from henceforth thou mayst feare and serue God without feare euen without the feare of totall and finall desertion The seede of this Regeneration is like the Father of it an immortall God and an immortall Seede therefore it cannot die if once it hath had life in thee Then though the windowes of thy Soule be shut vp that no light can shine into thee though the voice of ioy and gladnesse bee not heard yea though thy owne corruption stand vp before thine eyes like a Wall or Mount of separation betweene thee and thy God yea though the terrors of God doe seeme to fight against thee